The Moneytree: Political Advocacy on the Road
The re-release of The Moneytree can play an important part in ending the criminalization of cannabis; it is a provocative and innovative piece of entertainment- one that embraces the political advocacy movement to create conversation, dialogue and meaningful reform.
Once the re-mastering is complete the next step is to take the show on the road. We will open The Moneytree one market at a time, spearheaded by our political advocacy movement. In each opening city we will feature a new panel presentation; educators, cannabis dispensary owners, entrepreneurs, law enforcement, political representatives and sponsors will discuss the many challenges of cannabis decriminalization.
For a taste of what is to come, check out the footage below from a special presentation of the 35mm original print screened at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center kicking off the IndieGoGo fund raising campaign to re-edit, re-master, re-mix and re-release worldwide the movie that sparked a growing revolution. The event, hosted by director and star Chris Dienstag drew a crowd of interested and engaged members of the cannabis community. The public had a chance to meet the filmmakers and cast and true to our vision, we facilitated a public panel discussion with patients, entreprenuers, dispensaries, legal advocates, and politicos. The audience Q&A created the opportunity to discuss Cannabis now.
We will capitalize on future screenings by working closely with local and national cannabis activists as we engage with traditional media for regional print, television and radio. This will create expanded coverage of our political advocacy events as well as generate excitement for our film openings. We will also include some “old school” regional advertizing, flyers and posters, and continue to spread the word through blogs, podcasts, and other social media outlets.
Our distribution will start in the southern United States. We feel that this is where the film will generate the most controversy, and also exert the most influence – in the region where anti-cannabis sentiment is the strongest. We will then expand outward through the Midwest, and onward to each coast, as we travel the country, this slow rollout strategy will build momentum and create a growing regional and national interest.